The room felt colder than ever, even with the bright lights, as the meeting was taking place. Lyra stood by herself, in the center of the round room, her heart beating so fast that she wondered if everyone could hear it bouncing off the floor. The air felt heavy with judgment, doubt, and even excitement. She knew they wanted her to give in and say she did something she still didn't understand.
Sebastian stood near the Elders, but not near her at all. His arms were tightly folded, and he looked mad enough to hurt someone. He hadn't talked to her since the night before, and they felt very far apart. She could feel his wolf, upset and angry under his skin, and his anger felt like a fire that was too hot.
"Lyra Hale," said Elder Rowan, rising from his chair. "You got the mark when the bad wolves attacked. We need to know if this mark is a danger to Rivendale.
Lyra looked up despite the ache in her stomach. The mark felt warm under her shirt, like it wasn't from her own heart. Zack's thoughts touched her mind, far away but hard to ignore. She pushed him away and made her voice steady.
"I don't know what happened," she said. "I fought, I lost, and then everything went dark."
Sebastian made a sharp sound, showing he didn't believe her. "How nice for you."
Before she could say anything, Elder Rowan raised his hand up. "Show us the mark."
Lyra stopped, her fingers flying to the torn part of her shirt. She would have opened it slowly, but Sebastian was too quick. He growled low in his throat and yanked her shirt open.
Exclamations of surprise filled the room.
The bad mark shined under the light, a twisting symbol of dark silver with red lines which pulsed like hot coals. Lyra quickly held the torn shirt against her chest, ashamed and overwhelmed.
Elder Mira rose. "This is no ordinary mark. It is a cursed connection.
A concerned murmur swept the room. Sebastian stepped back as if she had sharp teeth.
"You are not connected to me anymore," he said calmly, though he sounded angry.
The shame hurt more than being clawed. Lyra felt her chest tighten and, though not clearly seeing, she did not look away; she didn't want to break down in front of them.
Elder Rowan's voice softened. "You have to find the witch of the Outlands. Only she can explain what has happened to you."
Hours later, the woods enveloped her as she approached the rim of the Outlands. The air felt cold and thick with weird energy. The witch's house appeared to have grown from the ground, gnarled by roots, smothered in light moss.
The door moved a little before she touched it. An older woman came outside, and her eyes sparkled like the moon shining on ice. "Come here, you chosen wolf," she said roughly. "I know the thing you're looking for."
The air in the small home was thick with the scent of plants, smoke, and old magic. The witch circled Lyra like a predator watching what it wants to eat. "Show me the sign."
Then Lyra showed the symbol.
The witch was surprised. "A link with a curse, made by a wild Alpha wolf, connecting two souls, sharing thoughts. .. older than your family."
Lyra took a deep breath. "Is there a way to undo this?"
"Yes," the witch replied, "but only by doing something not allowed. The Land of the Dead. A place where death cuts connections.
Lyra prepared herself. "Tell me the things I must do."
"You have to kill the person who put the mark on you."
Lyra was shocked. "Zack."
"The connection stays as long as he lives," the witch continued. "And the magic can only be done fully when the next Blood Moon appears. In two months."
Lyra closed her eyes, letting the witch's words feel like heavy stones in her stomach. All of her feelings fought against the idea. Kill Zack. Kill the wolf who moved quietly in her mind, whose feelings touched her own like shadows moving in candlelight. She did not know him well, but the connection made every sign of him feel close.
In the dark home, she felt him, far away, awake and worried. The connection pulled at her like a tight, unseen string connecting them. It was not love, and it was not hate. It was something weird, old, and filled with a meaning she could not understand. If she did not break it, the council would never trust her again. Sebastian would always look at her with anger.
And Rivendale would never allow a Luna connected to a wild Alpha. Slowly, she opened her eyes and looked into the witch's sharp eyes. "If this is the only thing I can do," she whispered, "then I will do it." The words felt heavy, but they came out like a promise she could not break.
The sky outside was of the deepest purple, and the first stars took their sparkle through between the moving clouds. Lyra carefully walked out of the small house, breathing in the cold night air as if it could calm her confusion. The woods seemed alive, talking quietly through the tree limbs, watching her without being seen.
She tugged her coat closer and started the long walk back to Rivendale, her every step echoing with the witch's warning: The connection lasts as long as he is alive. Kill the one who placed the curse on you. Two months. The words echoed in her mind like a song she couldn't shut off. As she walked, the link got stronger suddenly, more so than before. She stopped moving. A feeling hit her, strong and clear.
Zack had a feeling about something. It could have been her worry. It could have been her determination. It could have been what she had just chosen to do. She prepared herself for the pain or frustration to tear into what they had. But instead, she felt still, like something she didn't know. A quick moment of getting it. A soft sign of caring.
Then it vanished, leaving her alone in the night. Lyra exhaled shakily. What to do was easy to see now.